Hossa, Finland, mountain biking route

Route description

According to the new regulation, mountain biking in Hossa National Park is only allowed on routes marked for mountain biking. Thus, you can not mountain bike to Julma-Ölky nor to Välikallio using national park trails (unlike in the video). The map and GPS track have now been changed to comply with these new national park rules.

Most of the Hossa’s mountain biking trails start at the Nature Centre (Jatkosalmentie 6, 89920 Suomussalmi). Here you will find an info-desk of the National Park and a large car park. The village of Hossa is located about 4.5 kilometers away from the Nature Centre. However, this distance can be easily mountain biked and the consists of a beautiful ridge terrain and some singletrack/forest road.

The Hossa National Park is very well maintained. All cabins, shelters, wooden bridges and route markers are in a very good condition. Here you will definitely have plenty of nice places for rest in the wonderful scenery! The singletracks are fast, with a lot of fun turns and twists. These are a pleasure to mountain bike regardless of the skill level. There are only few very technical places, and no ascents are impossible.

The route ridden is 49.2 kilometers long. It is a ring route called Blue Achievement. This mountain biking route runs through the entire Hossa National Park. Below is a detailed description of the route sections:

Nature Center – Harjujen Huikonen (until half way)

Harjujen Huikonen mountain biking trail runs through the very beautiful ridge scenery. The singletrack is technically easy and fast. This section has some ridge climbs and descents, but most of them are easily ridable. Harjujen Huikonen is suitable for beginners and families as a day trip. Return trip can be done on an asphalt road (see map below).

Sininen Saavutus (route continues) – Lihapyörre

The route continues with a slightly more technical singletrack, with more climbs and descents. Stones, roots and duck-boards also start to appear here. However, Sininen Saavutus does not require professional mountain biking skills, but an average enthusiast will enjoy riding this section for sure. The section ends at Lihapyörre shelter on the shore of Somerjoki.

Lihapyörre – Kokalmus

The route section consists mainly of a fast and easy trail, but there are also some challenges in the form of roots and duck-boards. This is possibly one of the quickest stages of the route, as it runs on a slight downhill. The section ends on a well-equipped shelter at Kokalmus. It also has a magnificent lakeside scenery (lake Kokalmus).

Kokalmus – Lipponen Salmi

The route first turns west from Lake Kokalmus. First, follow the forest road for about 5 km. You can relax here a little before the next part. At 27 kilometers, the route returns back on the trails. The trails follow the lake shores and the scenery is amazing. After about 17 kilometers, the route returns back to the nearby Lake Kokalmus and turns towards The Lipponen Salmi. Here you will find some nice pine wood landscapes. The section is technically easy with a flowy and fast singletrack. The section ends at Lipposen Salmi – shelter, at the bank of the lake. There is also a small sandy beach here.

Lipposen Salmi – Huosivirta

The route turns left into the woods. The first part (approx. 2-3 km) is technically challenging, as the route runs slightly uphill. At the same time there are lots of technical roots and wet sections here. You should reserve a little more time for riding here. After this, the singletrack becomes easy and flowy again.

Huosivirta – Nature Center

The last leg of the route runs on the asphalt road all the way to the Nature Center. This is quite welcome though, as the energy level is likely to be quite low at this point.